“Bad dress, great opening”

Informant: “Basically it’s this superstition that if the dress rehearsal is terrible, then the opening night will be incredible. I’m pretty sure we just say this to make ourselves feel better about a bad rehearsal.”

context: The informant has performed in multiple plays and has many years of experience acting and singing on stage. They are heavily involved in theatre culture and has heard and participated in many theatre rituals and folklore. They also frequently travel in order to perform in or be on the crew for plays across multiple states.

analysis: This could technically fall under occupational folklore, since the informant has experience working in this field, and the beliefs are shared amongst performers specifically. This is also a proverb that specifically helps calm anxiety before they have to perform. I also understand the need for sayings like this since acting on a stage and putting on a show is such a high energy and chaotic activity to do. It also helps to reframe something bad into something positive, since a lot of things can go wrong during a theater show. It is a way to recognize and recontextualize the meaning of an uncontrollable event. This proverb also strengthens group identity as performers of the show.